JAPAN BOX OFFICE | Demon Slayer breaks all time record for OW

[Tower]

When is BRAVE opening?

This weekend.

[Corpse]

Hmm, looks like the poll is heading towards a majority of people voting no on including previews into opening weekends. I'll leave it open though the weekend.Wide openers this weekend includes: Brave, Wolf Children Ame and Yuki, and The Lady.

[Fullbuster]

Avengers vs TDKR in Japan will be interesting.

[Rudolf]

Merida and the Terrible Forest against Brave Hearts- who will win? Edited July 19, 2012 by Rudolf

[Corpse]

Umizaru should stay on top for awhile.The race for second place will be close between Brave and Wolf Children, and Pokemon if it manages a good second weekend hold.

[Travod]

メリダと悪の森lol if that's the title.メリダとおそろしの森close. I didn't know "terrible"

[Rudolf]

メリダと悪の森

lol if that's the title.

メリダとおそろしの森

close. I didn't know "terrible"

メリダとおそろしのもり

[Corpse]

July 21-22

Weekend Forecast

1 (1) Umizaru: Brave Hearts (Toho) ¥600-650 million ($7.5-8 million), Week 2

2 (-) Brave (Disney) ¥400-500 million ($5.5-6.5 million), NEW

2 (-) The Wolf Children Ame and Yuki (Toho) ¥400-500 million ($5.5-6.5 million), NEW

4 (2) Pokemon BW: Kyurem Vs. The Sacred Swordsman - Keldeo (Toho) ¥275-300 million ($3.5-4 million), Week 2

5 (3) The Amazing Spider-Man (Sony) ¥150-170 million ($1.9-2.1 million), Week 4

6 (4) Heruta Skelter (Asmik Ace) ¥140-160 million ($1.8-2 million), Week 2

7 (-) The Lady (Kadokawa Pictures) ¥70-80 million ($900,000-$1 million), NEW

8 (5) Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha (Aniplex) ¥60-70 million ($800-900,000), Week 2

9 (6) Snow White and the Hunstman (Toho-Towa) ¥30-40 million ($350-400,000), Week 6

10 (7) Rinjo: The Movie (TOEI) ¥25-35 million ($300-350,000), Week 4

This weekend is going to be very interesting.

Brave, from what I can tell, will open in the lower-mid range compared to past Pixar films. An opening over ¥500 million wouldn't surprise me, but I'm playing it safe here so if Merida does miss the target it won't be disappointing.

I'm hoping 'Brave' comes opens closer to 'The Incredibles' or 'Up' rather than 'Ratatouille' or 'Wall-E' though because Hollywood desperately needs a hit this summer with 'The Amazing Spider-Man' just doing decent numbers.

Okami Kodomo is the film that makes this weekend interesting, though. The film has enormous online interest on every Japanese website I visit (for months) and has great unknown potential. It's from the director of 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time' and 'Summer Wars', both pictures won the Best Animated Film Prize at the Japan Academy Awards in their respective years.

'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time' wasn't released by a major studio, so it was never a box office hit. Although it grossed a very respectable total in very limited release. Warner Bros. distributed 'Summer Wars', but it was never released on more than 127 screens. Despite the small release, the film was a breakout in Summer 2009 opening to ¥127 million and going on to gross ¥1.65 billion ($20 million) achieving a multiplier of 13.

This time however, Japan's top distributor Toho is overseeing the release of 'Wolf Children' and is opening the film at 350 locations (comparable with Studio Ghibli and Fuji TV films).

Director Mamoru Hosoda is seen by many to be as the future lead animator in Japan once Hayao Miyazaki retires, and Studio Ghibli expressed great interest in Hosoda over 10 years ago when they hired him to direct 'Howl's Moving Castle'. Hayao Miyazaki later replaced Hosoda for unknown reasons. In interviews, Hosoda says he learned much from Studio Ghibli which helped him in his Best Picture winners mentioned above.

Edited July 20, 2012 by Corpse

[iceroll]

Brave really needs to catch a break somewhere, hopefully Japan is good to it.

[Corpse]

Let's hope so.I'm not liking the morning theater reports, though.

[kayumanggi]

Japan, please.

[Corpse]

Umizaru: Brave Hearts topped 1.6 million admissions and 2 billion yen ($25 million) after 7 days in release as it headed into the weekend.

The two best comparison are Umizaru: The Last Message which topped 1.5 million admissions and 2.2 billion yen ($27 million) after it's 6th day in release, and Bayside Shakedown: Set the Guys Loose! which topped 1.5 million admissions and 1.9 billion yen ($22 million) after it's 7th day in release.

Umizaru 3 went on to gross 8.04 billion yen ($97 million) on 5.37 million admissions.

Bayside Shakedown 3 went on to gross 7.31 billion yen ($88 million) on 5.6 million admissions.

7/21-22, Weekend Report:

Based on morning and early afternoon reports: Umizaru 4 will comfortably win the weekend. Brave is struggling out of the gate and could be Pixar's lowest opener since Cars. Wolf Children is getting 2/3 more showings a day than Brave and is likely to come out on top in admissions, but will 3D put Brave over the top in gross?

Hopefully some Saturday data is released this week unlike the past few weeks.

[kayumanggi]

BRAVE has been a victim of a terrible release date. The competition is tough.

[Rudolf]

Cars made one-tenth of TS3 in Japan

[Fullbuster]

Cars made one-tenth of TS3 in Japan

Toy Story 3 is way better than Cars, certainly my favorite Pixar movie. Edited July 21, 2012 by Fullbuster

[John Marston]

Umizaru: Brave Hearts topped 1.6 million admissions and 2 billion yen ($25 million) after 7 days in release as it headed into the weekend.

The two best comparison are Umizaru: The Last Message which topped 1.5 million admissions and 2.2 billion yen ($27 million) after it's 6th day in release, and Bayside Shakedown: Set the Guys Loose! which topped 1.5 million admissions and 1.9 billion yen ($22 million) after it's 7th day in release.

Umizaru 3 went on to gross 8.04 billion yen ($97 million) on 5.37 million admissions.

Bayside Shakedown 3 went on to gross 7.31 billion yen ($88 million) on 5.6 million admissions.

7/21-22, Weekend Report:

Based on morning and early afternoon reports: Umizaru 4 will comfortably win the weekend. Brave is struggling out of the gate and could be Pixar's lowest opener since Cars. Wolf Children is getting 2/3 more showings a day than Brave and is likely to come out on top in admissions, but will 3D put Brave over the top in gross?

Hopefully some Saturday data is released this week unlike the past few weeks.

I hear ASM is set for a gigantic drop. Is this true?

[fmpro]

Avengers vs TDKR in Japan will be interesting.

I think Avengers will win easy

[fmpro]

I hear ASM is set for a gigantic drop. Is this true?

Could be 50%+

[Olive]

I think Avengers will win easy

won't be easy, maybe neck by neck.

[Corpse]

Why is Spider-Man dropping over 50%? Some films will probably dip 40% following Umi no Hi weekend, but it's unlikely anything drops over 50%.